Harness-saddle.



M. B. ZELLER.

HARNESS SADDLE.

APPLIOATION FILED APB.20,1910.

Patented Dec. 19,1911.

MELANCTHON E. ZELLER, 0F FINDLAY, OHIO.

HARNESS-SADDLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 20, 1910.

Serial No. 556,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MnLANo'rIioN. E. Znnnnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Findlay, in the county of Hancock and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Harness-Saddles;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to harness saddles.

One of my objects is to provide a saddle tree and a saddle plate whichdo not have to be loosened from one another when the saddle is takenapart for repair.

Another object is to improve the means of connection between the skirtsof the saddle, the pads and the shaft-bearers.

Other objects will become apparent from the following description.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationsof parts hereinafter described and specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a harnesssaddle constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a brokensectional View on the line ww of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line:I/:Z/ of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the saddle tree with thesaddle plate and. metal skirt-pieces attached thereto, and Fig. 5 is adetailed view of the channelplate carried by the pad.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 1 designates the saddle treewhich is preferably made of cast metal having upstanding posts 2 at itsapex which support the saddle plate 3 above said tree for the purpose tobe hereinafter explained. The wings 4 of the tree have sockets 5 intheir under surfaces into which are fitted the upper ends of steelskirt-pieces 6 secured by rivets 7. Each of the skirt-pieces has a hole8 bored therein near its lower end.

The leather skirts proper 9 are made in the form of sheaths and each oneis slipped over one of the metal skirt-pieces and wings of the saddletree and extends well beyond them. The upper edge 10 of the outerportion of each skirt fits below the saddle plate by reason of thelatter being raised or sup ported above the former. In other words, thespacing of the saddle plate away from the saddle tree permits the skirtto be inserted and withdrawn without loosening the connecting screw 11which secures said plate and tree together. Each skirt has a hole 12through it registering with the hole 8 in the lower end of the metalskirt-piece when the parts are assembled. These holes are of a size toaccommodate the screwthreaded shank 13 of the terret 1 1. Theshaftbearer, comprising the looped strap 16, and ring 17, is secured tothe skirt beyond the end of the skirt-piece by means of a bolt 18 passedthrough the skirt and both folds of said strap. Said bolt is providedwith a loop 19 at its lower end which projects below the skirt. Aleather wear strip 19 is preferably placed below the shaft bearer andextends up into the lower end of the skirt, being secured therein by thebolt.18.

The pad 20, which is only partially illustrated, is made separate fromthe skirt and has a channeled plate 21 secured to its upper face. Thelower end of the base of the channel is cut away, as at 22, leaving atongue 23 adapted to fit the loop 19 in the lower end of the bolt 18.Said channeled plate laps the metal skirt-piece and has a hole 24 in thebase of the channel which registers with the hole in said metalskirtpiece and the holes in the upper and lower folds of the sheath-likeskirt when the parts are assembled and the tongue on said channeledplate is in engagement with the loop on the bolt 18. The screw-threadedshank of the terret may then be passed through the registering holes sothat its extremity is arranged in the channel in the plate 21. Saidterret is secured by a bur 25 arranged in the channel in said plate 21and locked against turning by the sides of said channel.

It will be noted that my device is very simple in construction, is notlikely to get out of order and yet can be taken apart readily andquickly. By means of the looped bolt and tongue, the skirt, shaftbearerand pad are all connected together at the same point, making the devicevery strong. Furthermore, this connection holds the skirt or sheath andshaft bearer together independently of the shank of the terret whichsecures said skirt to the skirt-piece, so that said sheath and shaftbearer may be removed, without separating them, from the skirt-piece.The durability of my invention is also increased by the metal skirtpiecelapping over the channeled-plate on Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

.tending well beyond them, shaft bearers housed in the outer ends ofsaid sheaths, fastening means passed through said sheaths and shaftbearers beyond the ends of said skirt-pieces, and other fastening meansconnecting said sheaths and skirtpieces, which, when removed, permit therespective sheaths and shaft bearers to be removed, without separatingthem, from the skirt-pieces.

2. In a harness saddle, the combination with a tree and skirt-pieces, ofseparate sheaths covering said skirt-pieces and eX- tending well beyondthem, separate pads arranged below the respective sheaths, means tosecure said pads to said sheaths be yond the ends of the skirt-pieces,and fastening means connecting the corresponding pads, sheaths andskirt-pieces which, when removed, will permit the respective sheaths andpads to be removed, without separating them, from the skirt-pieces.

3. In a harness saddle, the combination with a tree and skirt-pieces, ofseparate sheaths covering said skirt-pieces and extending well beyondthem, shaft bearers housed in the outer ends of said sheaths, separatepads arranged below the respective sheaths, means to secure said padsand shaft bearers to said sheaths beyond the ends of the skirt-pieces,and fastening means connecting the'corresponding pads, sheaths andskirt-pieces, which, when removed, will permit the respective pads,sheaths and shaft bearers to be removed, without separating them, fromsaid skirt-pieces.

4. In a harness saddle, the combination with a tree and skirt-pieces, ofseparate sheaths covering said skirt-pieces and extending well beyondthem, shaft bearers housed in the outer ends of said sheaths, separatepads arranged below the respective sheaths, bolts having looped lowerends and passed through said sheaths and shaft bearers beyond the endsof the skirt-pieces, plates on said pads, each plate having a tongueengaging the loop in the corresponding bolt, and fastening meansconnecting the corresponding sheaths, plates and skirt- -pieces, which,when removed, will permit the respective pads, sheaths and shaft bearersto be removed, without separating them, from the skirt-pieces.

5. In a harness saddle, the combination with a tree having short wingsprovided with sockets therein, of thin steel skirtpieces secured in thesockets in said wings and separate sheaths covering said skirtpieces andcorresponding wings.

6. In a harness saddle, the combination with a tree having short wingsprovided with sockets therein and with a saddle plate, of steelskirt-pieces secured in the sockets in said wings, and separate sheathscovering said skirt-pieces and corresponding wings, the inner ends ofsaid sheaths extending below and being concealed by the saddle plate.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

MELANOTHON E. ZELLER.

Witnesses:

S. W. WORDEN, DAVID L. WILsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O.

